14.3 Accepting the Cross
© 2015 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
Too many Christians do not believe that the cross of Christ has been truly effective for them, but rather, that they must struggle to put themselves to death on an insufficient cross. They believe that because they judge themselves by outward appearance according to the accuser.
The Cross is absolute. The Cross is total. The entire creation DIED upon that Cross, all of it. If one died for all, then all died (2 Corinthians 5:14).
Our task is NOT to work and work at making an ineffective and insufficient cross do what it is supposed to do. Our task is to ACCEPT that Cross as it is – Finished.
Rest
“It is finished” (John 19:30). – One sacrifice for sins forever (Hebrews 10:12).
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). The operative word is REST. It is the Cross that gives us rest.
HOWEVER!!! God never presents the Cross as a thing in itself. The Cross is always presented as a Door, and Jesus is always placed immediately on the other side of that Door. Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11). “I reckon I’m dead” is followed immediately by, “I reckon I’m alive in Jesus.”
We Enter In
You are dead (Colossians 3:3). – But, you live in Christ (Colossians 3:3). – Christ who is your life (Colossians 3:4).
Look in the mirror, look at yourself, look all around you. If all you see is Jesus, then you have accepted the Cross. But those who see sin and disobedience and falling short, still believe that the cross is so much blither, not real, and certainly not for them.
Paul begins Galatians 2:20 with Christ: Christ I have been crucified with. Then he immediately positions us as still around, yes, but now it’s all Jesus. We accept the Cross; we enter the Door; we live only in Jesus.
Speaking Christ
Christ is my life; I have no other life. It is the Cross that declares: “I have no other life.”
Sometimes we get the idea that speaking Christ, speaking “Christ is my life; I have no other life,” has some sort of power, power to change our lives or our situations. Speaking “Christ is my life; I have no other life” is nothing of the sort. We speak Christ simply to convince ourselves that what God says is true. When I am convinced, when I am fully entered in by my own conviction, then I walk in joy and the accuser can find nothing in me. I have defeated him.
The Door Is Shut
Yes, you abandoned all hope of ever “pleasing” God by yourself, you got down on your knees, and you entered through that little Door by the confidence of a child that the Cross of Jesus is all you need. Now, look around, you are in Christ. You are in Jesus only. And Jesus is big. This Christ in whom you now live extends out beyond the far reaches of the universe; He swallows up into Himself all the moments of your life.
Everywhere you look, you see Christ alone.
Then Jesus taps you on your shoulder and points down. You see a little door in a little wall around a very small space. The Door is shut and bolted and locked.
Filled with Children
Notice something about all those around you who also have entered in; they, like you, are all children. Only little children enter into the Kingdom; those who are sufficient in themselves don’t need a Savior.
The Door is closed, children, and you are safe.
But what about the law? The law says …
Peace, child, the law is outside that Door. It cannot enter here, the Cross forbids it.
But they said …
Peace, child, “they said” is outside that Door. It cannot enter here; the Cross forbids it.
The Grave
The Door is closed, children, and you are safe.
But, But, But! What about those awful sins I committed?
Come here, My child, and look closely, here, deep inside of Me. There is a special room, right here, where I keep ALL of your sins. What do you see?
I see the Cross, Lord.
Good, now let Me open that Door, and you have a look at all the awfulness of your sins. What do you see?
I don’t see anything, Lord.
Yes, child, the grave is empty. There are no sins there. The Father does not know them, but He knows you.
But I Sinned!
Not one of all your sins can ever return to you, the Cross forbids them.
But I sinned!!!
Yes, you did, child. Now, right now, put that sin to the one death of Christ and leave it there. LEAVE IT THERE! You cannot bring your sin past that Cross. The Cross forbids it.
Jesus, I feel guilty.
Peace, child, the accuser is outside that Door. He cannot enter here, the Cross forbids it. You are clean, My child; you are justified. You, the only you that exists, alive inside of Me, have never sinned.
He Who Is IN You
The world and all of its deceit is outside that Door. It cannot enter you in Me; the Cross forbids it. Death and all the curse and all of its claims against you are outside that Door. They cannot enter you in Me; the Cross forbids them. All the accusation of the evil one and all the screaming of demons are outside that Door. They cannot enter you in Me; the Cross forbids them.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). – The world is crucified to me and I to the world (Galatians 6:14).
The Secret of Christ
Let me tell you a secret, now, My child. You live only in Me and I live always in you. You and I do all things together.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1). You can do anything you want, My child, you and I together.
I can do anything I want?
Yes, My child, for we always do all things together.
My sister made me mad.
Yes, My child, sometimes your sister aggravates Me as well.
Our Father’s Love
I can hit my sister?
Yes, child, your frustration is right and good, for it is My frustration that I am sharing with you. And yes, you and I can hit your sister together, we can do that. But, what if we took our anger with your sister for aggravating us and carried it here in this special place, our Father’s love. Do you think we could do that?
So, You admit she was wrong?
Yes, just as you are so often wrong, My silly child.
Well, I guess it would be okay. I guess we could love her instead.
Power Unleashed
The authority of Christ and the power of God unleashed!
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).
Those who refuse to enter into Christ use the cross as a weapon in their hand to subjugate to themselves all those believers in Jesus they keep herded before the cross and outside of Christ.
We who live only in Jesus know the Cross as life laid down and loved poured out, the authority of Christ released through us.
The Cross is for receiving. The Cross is for rest and protection.
The Cross is for life laid down and love poured out, the power of God unleashed.